2025-2026 AMMA Theory Exam Results
LEVEL 1
GOLD
Nevin Jacob
Yesha Patel
Vian Peri
Levi Janumala
SILVER
Mia Mills
LEVEL 2
GOLD
Athikan Peri
LEVEL 3
GOLD
Evangeline Mills
Evana Shah
SILVER
Lilyanna Corrales
Anna Miriam Foldesi
LEVEL 4
GOLD
Grant Mills
Lucy Tark
Winston Wang
Ishaan Vutla
Anaya Shah
Aiden Thai
Zayden Thai
LEVEL 5
GOLD
Charlize Chien
LEVEL 8
GOLD
Daniel Bae
Enya Ma
Finley Chong
SILVER
Aarav Bharti
2025 CREATIVE WRITING EXAM/CONTEST
GRAND MASTER AWARD - 2025 AMMA Creative Writing Exam/Contest Winner
Forest Lan
10th Grade, Chantilly High School, VA
Composing Perspective
Walking home from school, my heart was in a knot after underachieving in a subject I usually excel at. Putting my headphones on and hitting unpause, my disappointment was interrupted with upbeat melodies I was playing from the morning when I had walked to school. As if a window had opened, gusts of piercing rhythms enforced a deep breath. The music I was playing, a time capsule, had reflected the emotional state I was in during my walk to school, with it, my thoughts. I remembered my determination and optimism and I became aware of how far my emotions had drifted since then. In that moment, the music conflicted with my emotions, my frustration from the class contrasting the optimism I was feeling previously. This contrast led me to reevaluate the situation, seeing it as a momentary setback, rather than a defining flaw. Music shifted the frame, turning a discouraging moment into a motivating one. Experiences like these shaped my interpretation of music, and how easily situations can change with the incorporation of music. Music has served as an integral part of my life by showing me how consuming and producing music can alter perspective.
Since my first piano lesson, many years back, music has always sparked an interest in my heart, rhythms and harmony’s finding a foothold in every corner of my brain. During my primary years of learning the piano, like every other person learning something new, I struggled. To master the basics, my first piano teacher had me practice scales of all the major keys over and over again. At first, It felt like my fingertips were straying from my command. Each wrong note, a thief of satisfaction, setting off blaring alarms in my head which was leading to further deprivation of my sense of accomplishment. Despite the mistakes, I tightened the leash on my 2
fingertips, taking controlled breaths to drown out the alarms. The notes on the sheet music halted in their frenzy, making them legible. I learned to wait, make sure the notes I was hitting were right, then press the key on the piano. Even if I pressed a wrong note, I could always revise, then continue on until I could play it through smoothly and perfectly. Through these enduring moments, producing music through practice has shown me patience and resilience applicable to other endeavors. In painting, similar to playing the piano, you have to learn to maintain patience to achieve satisfactory results and when making mistakes.
As I progressed through my proficiency in playing the piano, I was given the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall, one of my goals since I had started playing. Waves of emotion crashed over me, first the excitement, imagining myself on the stage and being able to play in such a prestigious environment, then the pressure of expectations and the new environment hit me. Under these conditions, the only thing I could do was . When I stepped on stage after months of practice, I advanced towards the center of the stage where the piano was, heart pounding, I settled into the piano bench. As my hands recognized the cold tiles of the keyboard, I knew that the hours of practice had come to fruition. It felt like my hands were fully in control of themselves, and I was just watching them hit the keys. In this zone, I could enjoy the music. Most of the time, as I played the piano for more casual events, I focused on myself and my performance. But at this moment I could focus all my attention on the music itself. This made me realize that stress, although carrying a negative connotation, can be used to build up and strengthen skills. Before this moment, as a swimmer, my perspective towards the pressure leading up to a race was nerveracking, but after this moment at Carnegie Hall, I shifted my frame to enjoy the preparation, allowing me to perform my races with more composure. 3
I realized that once you start to appreciate music, you can find pieces of music in your life, cresendos in rising tension, diminuendos in quiet moments and fermatas in moments you wish could hold onto longer. Music taught me that your life can look like a musical score in progress, full of mistakes, corrections, but it’s all part of a bigger composition that I am still learning to play.This understanding allows me to read each note, and move forward with purpose.
GOLD AWARD
Anna Chinnam
Finley Chong
Jaime Moon
Anthony Koo
SILVER AWARD
Tyler Kim
2025 AMMA DIPLOMA PROGRAM
PERFORMANCE JURY - RECIPIENTS OF THE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
We proudly recognize the following students who have successfully passed each level of the program:
GRAND MASTER AWARD
Ryan Shin, Piano, student of Dr. JeongEun Park Kang
DIPLOMA OF MASTERY
Sophie Huang, Piano, student of Dr. JeongEun Park Kang
Tanvi Nare, Piano, student of Dr. Catherine Lim
Ryan Shin, Piano, student of Dr. JeongEun Park Kang
LEVEL I
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Nevin Tony Jacob, Piano
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Levi Janumala, Piano
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Parisa Diani, Piano
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Athikan Peri, Piano
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Vian Peri, Piano
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Yesha Patel, Piano
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Mia Mills, Piano
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Arin Gandhi, Piano
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Kiara Gandhi, Piano
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Alaya Nauman Ahmed, Piano
LEVEL II
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Charlize Chien, Violin
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Evana Shah, Piano
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Lilyanna Corrales, Piano
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Evangeline Mills, Piano
LEVEL III
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Anaya Shah, Piano
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Zia Izadpanah, Piano
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Aiden Thai, Piano
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Zayden Thai, Piano
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Grant Mills, Piano
LEVEL IV
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Charlize Chien, Piano
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Ishaan Vutla, Piano
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David Kim, Flute
LEVEL VI
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Sophie Huang, Piano
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Tanvi Nare, Piano
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Ryan Shin, Piano
2024 CREATIVE WRITING EXAM
